Sean Strickland welcomed Abus Magomedov to the top level of the UFC middleweight division in punishing fashion as he finished the Russian-born German in superb fashion at the UFC Apex. The pair faced off in the main event of UFC Vegas 76, as Magomedov, whose only prior UFC appearance resulted in a 19-second knockout win, was handed a harsh lesson ...
Dante Benjamin Jr. continues to dish out ‘Free Smoke.’ The unbeaten Cleveland native tore through Mirady Zola, whom he dropped early and eventually stopped in the opening round of their light heavyweight contest. Referee Robert Hoyle stopped the bout at 1:56 of round one Saturday evening from Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio. Benjamin claimed prior to the fight that he ...
Every win from here on out pushes Jared Anderson that much closer to a shot at the heavyweight crown. Most industry experts view the unbeaten 23-year-old as the heir apparent to the division’s top prize. Anderson shares that same view of himself, to a degree—his preference is just to let the body of work speak for itself. “I’m just a ...
Natasha Jonas is now a two-weight titleholder. The 2012 Great Britain Olympian and unified junior middleweight titlist added the vacant IBF welterweight belt to her collection following an eighth-round stoppage of Calgary’s Kandi Wyatt. No knockdowns were scored but Jonas was dominant from the opening bell through referee Marcus McDonnell’s decision to stop the fight at 0:33 of round eight. ...
Darren Stewart picked up a big win over a former champion as he claimed a unanimous decision victory over former middleweight title-holder Matt Bonner in the main event of Cage Warriors 156 in Cardiff, Wales. Stewart, who made his name as a striker earlier in his career, turned to his wrestling to secure the victory as he mixed up his ...
Callum Simpson went more rounds than he had in his previous six combined fights. Far more was gained in his ten-round, unanimous decision win over Glasgow’s Boris Crighton as the unbeaten Englishman rose to the occasion in a much-needed step-up fight. Judges Victor Loughlin (99-92), Mark Lyson (97-93) and Marcus McDonnell (99-91) all scored wide for Simpson in their ...
Emanuel Navarrete recognizes the opportunity to take the lead in a wide open 130-pound division. Claiming the top spot, however, means he will have to beat the best fighters at the weight. With that came the immediate decision to revisit plans for a mouthwatering showdown versus former two-division champ Oscar Valdez. “I need these big fights to prove to everyone—and ...
The Daily Bread Mailbag returns with Stephen "Breadman" Edwards tackling topics such as the recent clash between Carlos Adamas and Julian Williams, heavyweight prospect Jared Anderson, the title clash between Stephen Fulton and Naoya Inoue, Canelo Alvarez and more. I feel for you Breadman. So much to talk about. First off props to you for getting Jrock back in form. ...
At this point, even Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez believes that he should just move up in weight. After losing virtually every second of every round against Dmitry Bivol late last year, Ramirez (44-1, 30 KOs) needed a feel-good story. In order to do so, Golden Boy Promotions steered Ramirez away from the light heavyweight division’s elite and pointed him in the ...
Adam Kownacki desperately needed a feel-good moment. With three consecutive defeats, the once highly touted prospect appeared to be a shot fighter, one that needed a reboot. Joe Cusumano was viewed as Kownacki’s panacea. This past weekend, at the Hulu Theater in New York’s Madison Square Garden, both big men squared off in the co-main event on the night. The ...